Campaign for action on learning problems

Published on Friday 1 August 2008 22:24

EVERY child in Scotland should be tested for learning difficulties such as dyslexia, autism and dyscalculia by the time they are eight, campaigners say.

A petition has been launched on the Scottish Parliament's website calling for assessments for each condition.

Teachers should be trained to identify and educate pupils with the difficulties, campaigners urge.

David Ballantine, who serves on the Scottish Parliament's cross-party working group on dyslexia, is leading the petition.

He said: "Children with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Asperger's syndrome and autism and Meares-Irlen syndrome are still not being identified in the Scottish education system.

"Early diagnosis, and early intervention by teachers who have been trained in how to teach children with these conditions, can substantially improve not only the academic potential but also the behaviour of these children."

He said only about 7,000 children in the education system had been diagnosed with dyslexia, despite an estimate that 73,000 may have the learning difficulty to some degree.

Mr Ballantine, a Glasgow stockbroker, became a campaigner for better assessment and provision of support after he discovered he was dyslexic at the age of 27.

"A lot of children are being missed," he said. "If they are identified, there are ways to teach them; if they are not identified they end up thinking they are just not clever and could turn to crime or become unemployed.

"The aim of this is really to prevent the next generation being missed."

Teachers backed greater training to allow them to help children with additional needs.

An EIS spokesman said: "This should be addressed during programmes of initial teacher education, but local authorities must ensure that professional development opportunities are available to allow existing teachers to update their skills.

"With the introduction of the Additional Support for Learning Act, all local authorities are legally required to provide an appropriate level of support for all pupils with such needs."

A spokeswoman for the National Autistic Society Scotland

said: "It is absolutely crucial that all children with autism receive the right support at the right time.

"We would welcome any measure that ensures that their needs are identified as early as possible.

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Kathleen Marshall, Scotland's commissioner for children, also backed the move but warned against too much testing and stigmatising children.

"Children have a legal right to an education that develops their personality, talents, mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential," she said.

"It is important that we can identify anything that gets in the way of achieving that aim so we can give appropriate support.

"It is also important that we avoid too many intrusive tests that might stigmatise a child, so it is really a question of finding a balance."

Tina Woolnough, chairwoman of the support group Parents in Partnership, said: "Early intervention is meant to screen children for all sorts of difficulties and parents now have the right to ask for assessment legally which they didn't have before.

"They don't, however, have the right to expect that the test is done.

"Many of our members have children with additional needs and we would certainly welcome early assessment. Not nearly enough is being invested in additional support for learning."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The Scottish Government believes that the early years are the best time to provide support for children, allowing any problems to be identified and tackled early and prevent them from being disadvantaged in later life."